Take a journey through the complete transformation of an little side alley, from an eye sore to a place where the arts community came together.
Take a look at a transformational placemaking project with the brilliant Pauly Everett and his team from Flint Underground (FU); a DIY grassroots arts collective in Michigan. Pauly endeavored to solve an age old issue, there is not enough space for artists to gather. Artists need space to show their work, talk about their creations and to vend. They need space to come together, socialize, support and collaborate. Pauly saw a once abandoned alley as an outdoor gallery and art market.
The alley project was not possible without steps leading up to improving the infrastructure; which was done under unprecedented support by Friends of the Alley (FOTA). FOTA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to beautify and activate the alleys in Downtown Flint. The organization works to ensure that the alleys are exciting pedestrian friendly spaces that enhance adjacent businesses, connect the Flint community, and bring neighbors together.
Leading up to making Pauly's project possible was the great leadership of Kitty Gazall who led the $100,000 fundraising campaign with Patronicity's match program at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to pave and add lighting to the adjacent alleys. Shortly after, Emily Doerr wrote (and received) a placemaking grant from the Flint and Genesee Group to level the land, bering in the bob cat, lay pea gravel, upgrade the electricity and add the wall garden entrance. Emily and Kitty paved the way, literally. Next, came Pauly who applied to an open call for placemaking projects via the Mott Foundation and moved forward with "First Friday Sound & Vision" and to paint a mural in collaboration with the wine shop The Cork to create density and activation. He did just that, see pictures below with Pauly and the FU team assessing the space, adding art, and planning out gatherings to meet the needs of the creative community.
The alley activation series was such a success under Pauly;s leadership that more collaborations followed, in particular, the install murals of Mama Sol and Little Miss Flint; iconic leaders in the city.
A once abandoned alley full of garbage was turned into a place that filled hearts and fueled minds with the love of the arts communities converging in Flint. Flint artists transformed ugly into a beautiful outdoor gallery and music venue where hundreds of people came to enjoy downtown. The alley saw up to 600 people walk through every First Friday under Pauly's programming and grew from one stage and an arts market to three stages and a vendor village; this impacted the local economy and the confidence of residents.
Unfortunately the buildings around the little alley have crumbled and now the alley is closed off and mostly under construction but this process was incredible to be a part of and the success worth noting. It is a great case study on incremental development and asset based community development. Incremental development is a design and planning process that involves breaking down development into smaller, more manageable pieces. The goal is to promote gradual change to neighborhoods and commercial areas, while still preserving the overall design and function. Incremental development can take place at the city, district, neighborhood, or parcel level. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is a framework that helps communities strengthen themselves by identifying and using their existing assets. ABCD focuses on what a community has, rather than what it needs or lacks, and uses those assets to create change
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